Over two-thirds of the Earth is covered with salt water, and there is a relatively unlimited supply of solar energy. On the other hand, it is becoming clear that access to fresh water will be one of the biggest challenges for humanity in the 21st century. Unfortunately, in many areas of the world there is limited access to fresh water sources.
In some instances, the lack of access can be attributed to a lack of electricity and power to filter water effectively. Poor areas, for example, typically cannot afford the costs required for installing infrastructure for electricity. In other instances, the lack of access can be attributed to a disaster. Often disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes can cause a sudden great need for fresh water to meet basic hydration needs of victims, while simultaneously destroying any freshwater reserves, contaminating freshwater sources, and/or drastically damaging infrastructure and the ability to transport large supplies of relief fresh water.
Accordingly, purifying water in these environments is an ongoing challenge, since increasingly worse and more extreme conditions call for purification systems to be increasingly eco-friendly, durable, inexpensive, and readily portable.